Investigation of low-level <Superscript>242</Superscript>Pu contamination on nutrition disturbance and oxidative stress in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum tuberosum</Emphasis> L.

Plutonium associated with higher molecular weight molecules is presumed to be poorly mobile and hardly plant available. In our present study, we investigate the uptake and effects of Pu treatments on Solanum tuberosum plants in amended Hoagland medium at concentrations of [²⁴²Pu] = 100 and 500 nm, respectively. We found a direct proof of oxidative stress in the plants caused by these rather low concentrations. For the confirmation of oxidative stress, we explored the production of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) by epifluorescence microscopy. Oxidative stress markers like lipid peroxidation and superoxide radicals (O₂ ^??) are monitored through histochemical analysis. The biochemical parameters i.e. chlorophyll and carotenoids are measured as an indicator of cellular damage in the tested plants including the enzymatic parameters such as catalase and glutathione reductase. From our work, we conclude that Pu in low concentration has no significant effects on the uptake of many trace and macroelements. In contrast, the content of O₂ ^?? , malondialdehyde (MDA), and H₂O₂ increases with increasing Pu concentration in the solution, while the opposite effects was found for NO, catalase, and glutathione reductase. These findings prove that even low concentration of Pu regulates ROS production and generate oxidative stress in S. tuberosum L.     

Application of chemical oxidation to remediate HCH-contaminated soil under batch and flow through conditions

This is the first study describing the chemical oxidation of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in contaminated soil under water saturated and unsaturated flow through conditions. Soil contaminated with β-HCH (45 mg kg^?1) and γ-HCH (lindane, 25 mg kg^?1) was sampled from former lindane waste storage site. Efficiency of following treatments was tested at circumneutral pH: H₂O₂ alone, H₂O₂/Fe^II, Na₂S₂O₈ alone, Na₂S₂O₈/Fe^II, and KMnO₄. Experimental conditions (oxidant dose, liquid/solid ratio, and soil granulometry) were first optimized in batch experiments. Obtained results revealed that increasing dose of H₂O₂ improved the oxidation efficiency while in Na₂S₂O₈ system, maximum HCHs were removed at 300 mM. However, oxidation efficiency was slightly improved by Fe^II-activation. Increasing the solid/liquid ratio decreased HCH removal in soil samples crushed to 500 μm while an opposite trend was observed for 2-mm samples. Dynamic column experiments showed that oxidation efficiency followed the order KMnO₄ > Na₂S₂O₈/Fe^II > Na₂S₂O₈ whatever the flow condition, whereas the removal extent declined at higher flow rate (e.g., ~50% by KMnO₄ at 0.5 mL/min as compared to ~30% at 2 mL/min). Both HCH removal and oxidant decomposition extents were found higher in saturated columns than the unsaturated ones. While no significant change in relative abundance of soil mineral constituents was observed before and after chemical oxidation, more than 60% of extractable organic matter was lost after chemical oxidation, thereby underscoring the non-selective behavior of chemical oxidation in soil. Due to the complexity of soil system, chemical oxidation has rarely been reported under flow through conditions, and therefore our findings will have promising implications in developing remediation techniques under dynamic conditions closer to field applications.     

Assessing demineralization treatments for PVC effluent reuse in the resin polymerization step

To reduce fresh water consumption in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant, the effluent from a biological treatment must be demineralized to be re-used in the resin polymerization process. Demineralization is a critical process, since the quality and the stability of the PVC resins are highly influenced by the water quality used in the process. The main target values for water parameters are the following: conductivity <10 μScm^?1, TOC < 10 mg L^?1, and Al < 0.1 mg L^?1. To achieve this quality, several reverse osmosis membranes from different materials and suppliers were tested and compared in the demineralization treatment. Polyamide membranes showed higher salt rejection compared to cellulose acetate membranes yielding both types similar flux and permeability. Two-pass reverse osmosis treatment was necessary to reach conductivities lower than 10 μS cm^?1. On the other hand, a good quality effluent for reuse was obtained by combining RO and ionic exchange resins. Results showed that good quality PVC resins in terms of color, granulometry, porosity, and bulk density were obtained when demineralized water from two-pass reverse osmosis was used as fresh water, proving the feasibility of the effluent reuse in the PVC industry.     

堆肥中纤维素和木质素的生物降解研究现状

堆肥是垃圾处理的主要方法之一 ,厨房垃圾、园林垃圾、农村秸秆和日常生活中的废弃纤维产品均可作为堆肥原料 ,这些原料中含有一定量的纤维素和木质素 ,而纤维素和木质素在堆肥过程中较难生物降解。因此 ,国内外学者致力于研究能加速纤维素和木质素降解的高效微生物。研究发现 ,对纤维素和木质素有降解能力的微生物主要是高温放线菌和高温真菌 ,其中有独特降解机制的白腐菌在木质素降解中起着重要作用     

农业蔬菜废物处理方法研究进展和探讨

目前我国农业蔬菜废物污染问题正日益加重 ,蔬菜废物和其他固体废物相比具有高含水率、高营养成分和基本无毒害的特性 ,适宜于单独收集处理。本文介绍了国内外蔬菜废物处理方法的研究进展 ,包括好氧堆肥法、厌氧消化法、好氧 -厌氧联合处理法 ,并对这些方法的适用条件进行了论述。同时 ,探讨了接种微生物自然堆沤法的初步研究结果     

白腐菌对芳香族化合物的降解途径

白腐菌 (Whiterotfungi)是目前所发现的对芳香族化合物有很强降解能力的一类微生物。本文探讨了降解芳香族化合物的白腐菌种及其代谢化合物的主要类型 ,分析了对不同化合物的不同代谢途径 ,同时展望了其应用前景     

Biosurfactant-enhanced solubilization of NAPL mixtures

Remediation of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) by conventional pump-and-treat methods (i.e., water flushing) is generally considered to be ineffective due to low water solubilities of NAPLs and to mass-transfer constraints. Chemical flushing techniques, such as surfactant flushing, can greatly improve NAPL remediation primarily by increasing the apparent solubility of NAPL contaminants. NAPLs at hazardous waste sites are often complex mixtures. However, the equilibrium and nonequilibrium mass-transfer characteristics between NAPL mixtures and aqueous surfactant solutions are not well understood. This research investigates the equilibrium solubilization behavior of two- and three-component NAPL mixtures (containing akylbenzenes) in biosurfactant solutions. NAPL solubilization is found to be ideal in water (i.e., obeys Raoult's Law), while solubilization in biosurfactant solutions was observed to be nonideal. Specifically, the relatively hydrophobic compounds in the mixture experienced solubility enhancements that were greater than those predicted by ideal enhanced solubilization theory, while the solubility enhancements for the relatively hydrophilic compounds were less than predicted. The degree of nonideality is shown to be a nonlinear function of the NAPL-phase mole fraction. Empirical relationships based on the NAPL-phase mole fraction and/or micelle-aqueous partition coefficients measured in single-component NAPL systems are developed to estimate values for the multicomponent partition coefficients. Empirical relationships that incorporate both the NAPL-phase mole fraction and single-component partition coefficients yield much improved estimates for the multicomponent partition coefficient.     

Genotoxicity in adult residents in mineral coal region—a cross-sectional study

The present study assessed the DNA damage in environmentally exposed volunteers living in seven municipalities in an industrial coal region, through the use of the comet assay with blood cells and the micronucleus test with buccal cells. Blood and buccal smears were collected from 320 male volunteers living in seven cities inserted in a coal region. They were ages of 18 and 50 years and also completed a questionnaire intended to identify factors associated with DNA damage through a Poisson regression analysis. The comet assay detected significant differences in DNA damage in volunteers from different municipalities, and neighboring cities (Pedras Altas, Aceguá, and Hulha Negra) had a higher level of DNA damage in relation to control city. Some of the risk factors associated with identified DNA lesions included residence time and life habits. On the other hand, the micronucleus test did not identify differences between the cities studied, but the regression analysis identified risk factors such as age and life habits (consumption of mate tea and low carbohydrates diet). We conclude that there are differences in the DNA damage of volunteers from different cities of the carboniferous region, but the presence of micronuclei in the oral mucosa does not differ between the same cities. Furthermore, we alert that some related factors may increase the risk of genotoxicity, such as residence location and time, and living and food habits. Finally, we suggest the need for continuous biomonitoring of the population, as well as for investing in health promotion in these vulnerable populations.

     

反胶束漆酶/纤维素酶体系中油酸酯化的优化

漆酶和纤维素酶在反胶束水核中心具有较强的催化活性。为了对反胶束酶体系中油酸酯化反应深入研究,采用生物表面活性剂鼠李糖脂构建反胶束体系作为漆酶与纤维素酶酯化油酸的催化反应场所。通过实验研究了反胶束体系的不同条件对酯化产物含量的影响。对于反胶束漆酶体系,最佳酯化条件为：含水量W0 40%,鼠李糖脂临界胶束浓度20 mmol·L-1,pH值4,温度40 ℃;对于反胶束纤维素酶体系,最佳酯化条件为：含水量20%,鼠李糖脂临界胶束浓度80 mmol·L-1,pH值4,温度30 ℃。综合考虑几个因素,漆酶比纤维素酶更适合应用于反胶束中油酸的酯化。研究同时采用荧光光谱法对漆酶和纤维素酶在反胶束体系中结构性能的变化进行研究,结果表明,当反胶束体系处于最佳酯化反应条件时,荧光强度最高。     

Role of goethite dissolution in the oxidation of 2-chlorophenol with hydrogen peroxide.

It is well known that the dissolution of goethite plays an important role in catalyzing the oxidation of organic chemicals. Therefore, this study investigates how surface dissolution of goethite affects 2-chlorophenol oxidation in the goethite/H2O2 process. Experimental results indicate that ligand and reductant can enhance the dissolution rate of goethite, which is surface-controlled. Our results further indicate 2-chlorophenol degradation depends on goethite concentration. In addition, the oxidation rate of 2-CP is correlated with reductive dissolution rate at various dosages of goethite. Moreover, the oxidation mechanism of 2-CP is also a surface-controlled reaction. A mechanism proposed herein indicates that, in addition to the contaminant, its intermediate species affect the oxidation rate as well.